Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Auxiliary compositions for cleaning – or processes of preparing – Textile softening or antistatic composition
Reexamination Certificate
1994-12-21
2001-01-16
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing
Textile softening or antistatic composition
C510S522000, C510S527000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174854
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a composition for the treatment of textiles, in particular to a fabric care composition containing a UV absorber; and to a method of treating textiles with the composition, which method imparts to textile fibre material so treated, in addition to an excellent sun protection factor (SPF) value, and other desirable properties.
It is known that light radiation of wavelengths 280-400 nm permits tanning of the epidermis. Also known is that rays of wavelengths 280-320 nm (termed UV-B radiation), cause erythemas and skin burning which can inhibit skin tanning.
Radiation of wavelengths 320-400 nm (termed UV-A radiation) is known to induce skin tanning but can also cause skin damage, especially to sensitive skin which is exposed to sunlight for long periods. Examples of such damage include loss of skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles, promotion of the onset of erythemal reaction and the inducement of phototoxic or photoallergic reactions.
Any effective protection of the skin from the damaging effects of undue exposure to sunlight clearly needs to include means for absorbing both UV-A and UV-B components of sunlight before they reach the skin surface.
Traditionally, protection of exposed human skin against potential damage by the UV components in sunlight has been effected by directly applying to the skin a preparation containing a UVA. In areas of the world, e.g. Australia and America, which enjoy especially sunny climates, there has been a great increase in the awareness of the potential hazards of undue exposure to sunlight, compounded by fears of the consequences of alleged damage to the ozone layer. Some of the more distressing embodiments of skin damage caused by excessive, unprotected exposure to sunlight are development of melanomas or carcinomas on the skin.
One aspect of the desire to increase the level of skin protection against sunlight has been the consideration of additional measures, over and above the direct protection of the skin. For example, consideration has been given to the provision of protection to skin covered by clothing and thus not directly exposed to sunlight.
Most natural and synthetic textile materials are at least partially permeable to UV components of sunlight. Accordingly, the mere wearing of clothing does not necessarily provide skin beneath the clothing with adequate protection against damage by UV radiation. Although clothing containing a deeply coloured dye and/or having a tight weave texture may provide a reasonable level of protection to skin beneath it, such clothing is not practical in hot sunny climates, from the standpoint of the personal comfort of the wearer.
There is a need, therefore, to provide protection against UV radiation for skin which lies underneath clothing, including lightweight summer clothing, which is undyed or dyed only in pale shades. Depending on the nature of the dyestuff, even skin beneath clothing dyed in some dark shades may also require protection from UV radiation.
Such lightweight summer clothing normally has a density of of less than 200 g/m
2
and has a sun protection factor rating between 1.5 and 20, depending on the type of fibre from which the clothing is manufactured.
The SPF rating of a sun protectant (sun cream or clothing) may be defined as the multiple of the time taken for the average person wearing the sun protectant to suffer sun burning under average exposure to sun. For example, if an average person would normally suffer sun burn after 30 minutes under standard exposure conditions, a sun protectant having an SPF rating of 5 would extend the period of protection from 30 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes. For people living in especially sunny climates, where mean sun burn times are minimal, e.g. only 15 minutes for an average fair-skinned person at the hottest time of the day, SPF ratings of about 20 are desired for lightweight clothing.
The selection of a suitable UVA, for use in a method for effecting an increase in the SPF value of a textile fibre material (often referred to as a “UV cutting” treatment method), has to take into account the fact that the treated textile fibre material must satisfy performance criteria in a wide range of areas, such as washfastness, lightfastness and tear resistance, apart from its SPF value.
For example, the currently known non-reactive UVAs generally exhibit an inadequate washfastness when applied to cotton. Consequently, their use in UV cutting applications (and also for the purpose of improving the lightfastness) is limited.
It is already known from WO 86/2392, that a fabric softening composition may comprise:
a) 20-89.9% by weight of a specified alkoxylated &bgr;-sitosterol;
b) 10-79.9% by weight of di(C
12
-C
22
-alkyl)dimethylammonium chloride or a specified imidazoline derivative;
c) 0.01-10% by weight of a UV-absorber; and
d) 0-10% by weight of one or more additives.
The specified alkoxylated &bgr;-sitosterol components of these known compositions appear to be rather inaccessible compounds which are not commercially available. Moreover, the specific UV-absorbers described in WO 86/2392, with the exception of 2-hydroxy-4-cyanobenzophenone are, in fact, fluorescent whitening agents rather than UV-absorbers.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that by applying, to a washed article of clothing, a rinse cycle fabric care formulation comprising a specific UV absorber, especially a rinse cycle fabric softener comprising a specific UV absorber, the SPF factor of clothing so treated can be significantly increased, without the need to include an alkoxylated &bgr;-sitosterol in the rinse cycle fabric care formulation.
The present invention provides, therefore, as a first aspect, a stable, concentrated fabric rinse composition comprising:
a) 0.1 to 20, preferably 1 to 10% by weight of a UV absorber selected from a hydroxyaryl-1,3,5-triazine, a sulphonated-1,3,5-triazine, an o-hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole or a 2-aryl-2H-benzotriazole, based on the total weight of the composition;
b) a fabric care ingredient, preferably a fabric softener, a stain release or stain repellant ingredient or a water-proofing agent; and
c) the remainder being substantially water.
The fabric care ingredient is preferably present in an amount of from 5 to 25, preferably 10 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.
The present invention provides, as a second aspect, a stable, concentrated rinse cycle fabric softener composition comprising:
a) 0.1 to 20, preferably 1 to 10% by weight of a UV absorber selected from a hydroxyaryl-1,3,5-triazine, a sulphonated-1,3,5-triazine, an o-hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole or a 2-aryl-2H-benzotriazole, based on the total weight of the composition;
b) 5 to 25, preferably 10 to 20% by weight of a cationic fabric softening agent,based on the total weight of the composition; and c) the remainder being substantially water.
Preferred examples of cationic fabric softening agents include imidazolines and quaternary ammonium compounds as well as mixtures thereof.
Preferred imidazoline cationic fabric softening agents are those having the formula:
in which R is hydrogen or C
1
-C
4
alkyl; R
1
is a C
8
-C
30
aliphatic residue; R
2
is hydrogen, a C
8
-C
30
aliphatic residue, C
1
-C
4
alkyl, C
1
-C
4
halogenoalkyl, C
1
-C
4
hydroxyalkyl or a group —C
2
H
4
—OC(═O)—R
5
or —C
2
H
4
—N(R
4
)—C(═O)—R
5
in which R
4
is hydrogen or C
8
-C
30
alkyl and R
5
is hydrogen or C
1
-C
4
alkyl; R
3
is a C
8
-C
30
aliphatic residue, C
1
-C
4
alkyl, C
1
-C
4
halogenoalkyl, C
1
-C
4
hydroxyalkyl or a group —C
2
H
4
—OC(═O)—R
5
or —C
2
H
4
—N(R
4
)—C(═O)—R
5
in which R
4
and R
5
have their previous significance; and X is an anion.
Preferably R is hydrogen or methyl; R
1
is C
14
-C
18
alkyl or C
14
-C
18
alkenyl; R
2
is hydrogen, C
14
-C
18
alkyl, C
14
-C
18
alkenyl, C
1
-C
4
alkyl, C
1
-C
4
halogenoalkyl or C
1
-C
4
hydroxyalkyl; and R
3
is a group —C
2
H
4
—OC(═O)—R
5
or —C
2
H
4
—N(R
4
)—C(═O)—R
5
in which R
4
is hydrogen or C
8
-C
30
alkyl and R
5
is hydrogen or C
1
-C
4
alkyl.
Preferre
Hofer Urs
Kaufmann Werner
Rembold Manfred
Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation
Hardee John
Mansfield Kevin T.
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